Program selector



June 2, 1942. L. P. MoRRls 2,284,916

PROGRAM SELECTOR Z4 mnu. 1 .Ann

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June 2, 1942. L. P. MORRIS 2,284,916

PROGRAM SELECTOR Filed Feb. 6, 1939 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOR. 1051i I? M01-Ijs,

BY mm Patented June 2, 1942 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE PROGRAM SELECTOR Lloyd Morris, Chicago, Ill.

Application February 6, 1939, Serial No. 254,898

12 Claims.

The invention here disclosed relates to apparatus for enabling the pre-selection of a program or series of programs and for effecting the perfomance of the same as the time arrives. While particularly directed to radio, television and programs of like character, the invention is not limited to such.

Special objects of the invention are to provide a program selecting and determining mechanism, which will be of compact design and arrangement and small in size, so as to require, for example, but little space in a radio cabinet or the like; which despite its small size, will have capacity for programs over a relatively long period, such as a week or more; which can be easily set up and adjusted for any desired program arrangements; which will be readily controllable to vary or change the set program and particularly, operative to delay*the control action, in the sense of cutting out any particular program period without destroying the sequence of following programs; and in general to provide mechanism which will accomplish all the foregoing and other desirable results, in a simple, practical, sturdy and elcient structural form.

In accomplishment of the foregoing, the invention embodies the novel features of construction, combination and relation of parts as hereinafter described, illustrated by way of example in the accompanying drawings and broadly covered in the claims.

The drawings illustrate practical commercial embodiments of the invention. Structure however may be modified and changed as regards the present disclosure all within the true intent and broad scope of the invention as hereinafter defined and claimed.

Fig. 1 is a side view of the machine, with certain parts indicated as broken away.

Fig. 2 is a front elevation of the machine.

Fig". 3 is a broken view of the opposite side of the'machine from that shown in Fig. 1.

Fig'. 4 is a vertical sectional view as on substantially the plane of line 4--4 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 5 is a broken sectional detail showing the wire terminal arrangement taken as appearing on line 5 5 of Fig. 3.

Fig. 6 is a vertical cross-sectional view as on substantially the line 6-6 of Fig. 1.

Figs. '7 and 8 are enlarged broken sectional views taken on line l-l of Fig. 1 and line 8-8 of Fig. 3, Fig. 7 showing the quarter hour time train at one side of the machine and Fig. 8 the twenty-four hour train at the opposite 51d@ Of the machine.

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Fig. 9 is a sectional view as on line 9-9 of Fig. 8, showing the delay setting dial.

Fig. 10 is a face view of a portion of the time indicating and controlling film.

Fig. 11 is a detail of the hand punch for forming the control openings in the film.

Fig. 12 is a Wiring diagram.

Fig. 13 is a broken part sectional side view illustrating the machine operating with a continuous film piling up in loose folds in a magazine.

Fig. 14 is a front view showing the machine mounted in a suitable case.

Fig. 15 is an enlarged view of the broadcast period cam.

A special feature of the invention is the utilization of standard commercial motion picture film as a tape for carrying time indications and as a control medium for initiating program selection. Such a film is shown at l5, having sprocket perforations I6, Fig. 10, time indications Il, station control openings A, B, C, D, E, F and an Off control opening O. The present disclosure provides for the control of a radio receiving set for the fifteen minute broadcast periods for an entire week. Consequently, the time indications' show both the day and the time in fifteen minute intervals, A. M., Noon, P. M. and Midnight or equivalent. These fifteen minute mar ngs are in line with or spaced the same as the fi perforationa since the film is 4intermittently stepped the distance between perforations, at the end of each so-called broadcast period. The station control openings and such other control openings, if there be such, as On and Oif, are spaced transversely across the film to register with the seven control fingers a, b, c, d, e, f, o, Fig. 2.

As shown in Figs. l and 4, the travel of the film is from a supply or rewind reel I8, over guide roll I9, down through a guideway between front and back insulating supports 20, 2|, and a perforating guide 22, around a feed sprocket 23, to a take-up reel 24. The seven contact springs, a, b, c, etc., are supported on the insulator 2l, at the back in line with fixed terminal contacts 25, 26, 2l, 28, 29, 30 and 3|, on the front insulating support 20.

The film is stepped the distance of one sprocket tooth at the end of each fifteen minute interval by a pawl 32, Fig. l, in engagement with a ratchet 33, secured to the feed sprocket, said pawl being carried by a lever 34, having an arm 35, riding on a fifteen minute snail cam 36, under the force of springs 3l, In this view, the lever is shown as just having dropped 01T the abrupt high end of the cam to advance the sprocket and the nlm one sprocket tooth. A spring detent 38, in engagement with a toothed detent wheel 39, fixed to the sprocket retains the sprocket in the advanced position but is yieldable to permit rotation of the sprocket in either direction.

'I'he power for operation is shown supplied by a small clock motor 40, having a pinion 4I, in mesh with gear 42, carrying a pinion 43, driving gear 44, which as shown in Fig. '1, has a frictional coupling with the snail cam 36. This coupling is illustrated as a sleeve 45, fixed by set screw 46, on the shaft 41, turned by gear 44, said cam being rotatably mounted on said sleeve and pressed by a spring washer 48, against a dial 49. The dial and cam rotate as one, thus to enable the setting of the cam to the existing time, the dial being laid off in fifteen minute markings 50, registering with an index 5l. The sleeve 45 is shown as carrying a pulley 52, over which a drive belt 53 is run to a pulley 54, on the shaft 55, of the take-up reel 24.

A finger knob 56, on shaft 55, provides a means for winding the film forwardly and a knob 51, on the shaft 58, on the supply reel provides a means for running the film backwardly or rewinding. Thus the film at any time can be run either forward or backward to bring the time indications into register with the window 59.

When a particular time designation is in register with window 59, the lmis in position to be punched at the perforator 22, for operation of a selected station at that particular time.

Fig. 11 illustrates a tool for the purpose, consisting of a small finger punch having a concave edged cutting portion 60, insertable through the station designated perforations in the perforator guide.

If desired, one or both film reels may be of the removable type, in the nature of a spool keyed on the supporting shaft and held in position thereon as by a spring clip 6|, as indicated for the upper rewind reel in Fig. l.

To automatically release the feed pawl 32, when the knob 51, is actuated to rewind the film, that knob is shown Fig. 6, as rotatably and slidably sleeved on shaft 58, and having one way drive teeth 62, at the inner end of the same to engage a cross pin 63, on the shaft, the axial movement this required of the knob serving to rock a lever`64, connected by a cord 6'5, running over guides 66, to the toothed end of pawl 32, Fig. 1. This pawl is pivotally mounted at 81, on the feed lever 34, and is held normally engaged with the feed ratchet 33, by spring 68. A spring 69, Fig. 6, thrusts the rewind knob outward to the extent permitted by cross pin 10, engaging shoulder 1|', on shaft 58, thus to nor- Vmally hold the knob declutched from the shaft so that it may be turned in either direction without affecting operation of the machine. Upon positively pressing the knob inward however, the

teeth 62, may be engaged with pin 63, to turn is shown as 'carried by sleeve 14, rotatable on supporting shaft 15, said sleeve carrying a loose gear 16, engaged on opposite sides by friction clutch washers 11, between metallic washers 18, 19. A spring washer 80, acts against the outer washer 19, of this clutch assembly to thrust the inner washer 18, against dial 12, and to yieldingly hold gear 1B, in driving relation to said dial. This gear is shown engaged by pinion 8l, carried by or rotating with gear 82, and the latter is indicated as engaged by pinion 83, on the end of shaft 84, which extends across to the other side of the machine, Fig. 1, and there carries a gear 85, engaged by pinion 86, rotating with the 15 minute gear 44. With this arrangement, the quarter hour gearing is located all at one side of the machine and the 24 hour time train all at the opposite side of the machine.

The dials 12 and 13 are numbered 1 to 24 or in two successive scales of 1 to 12 hours each, for day and night respectively and thus provide a chronological time indication when associated with an index, such as indicated at 8T, Figs. 2 and 14.

The two dials ordinarily are coupled together to move as one but when program selection is to be delayed, they are uncoupled and remain so until the time dial 12, arrives at the position to which the delay dial 13, has been set.

The coupling means is shown in Figs. 8 and 9, as a series, usually three, of round end pins 88, spaced at different radial distances from the center of the inner dial and engageable with correspondingly located rounded seats 89, in the opposing face of the delay dial. When out of meshv as in Fig. 8, the time dial is forced axially to the right, thereby acting on a plunger 98, to hold switch 9|, in an off position, thus to maintain the radio or other mechanism controlled by the unit in an off condition. As the pins 88, come into register with seats 89, through movement of the time dial in reaching the set position of the delay dial 13, the time dial is shifted over tothe left Fig. 8, by means of spring 80, thus permitting plunger 90, to move to the left, which thereby permits the quick action switch 9|, to snap closed and restore the radio or other mechanism to active condition and again undter full control of the program determining um The delay dial 13 is shown in Fig. 8, as yieldingly held by a spring washer 92, against a shoulder 93, on the stationary supporting shaft or stud 15, so that it will remain in the position to which it' has been turned, -until picked up by the time dial through engagement of the clutch pins in the seats provided therefor.

The electrical circuits employed may be varied quite widely to suit different radio sets and to meet different requirements and accomplish different control results. uA typical circuit illustrating fundamental features is indicated in Fig. 12.

'I'here it will be seen that when the cam follower 35, drops off the high end of the cam, it closes a circuit at contacts 94, thus to bring the stationary back contacts 25, 26, etc., by common wiring 95, in circuit with wiring 96, for momentary tuning control actuation. Other wiring 91 extended from wiring 95 is led to another terminal for constant tuning control. -The unit may thus be readily connected withV either` of these two well-known types of automatic tuning mechanism. Since the quarter houi cam 36 is constantly moving, it may be provided with a slight dwell at the low point, such as indicated at 98,

Figs. 12 and 15, to allow the circuit to remain closed for the short interval of time required for the momentary tuning.

The spring station selecting contacts a, b, c, d, e, f and the "on or off spring contact o are connected respectively with the station terminals 99, and control terminals |00. The delay switch 9|, is connected with appropriate terminals 0|. All the terminals may be mounted on a common insulating base shown at |02, Figs. 3 and 5, supported on brackets |03, and such terminals may be in the nature of clipsl as indicated to receive pin terminals |04, on the ends of conductors extending to the automatic tuner orother mechanism which the machine controls. In the case of a tuner, the station terminals 99, may be considered as the equivalent of the push buttons. levers or other elements usually actuated by hand to effect the station selecting operation of the tuner.

Instead of winding the lm on a take-up reel as first shown, the take-up reel 24, may be replaced by a film sprocket 24a. Fig. 13. adapted to forward the fllm in loose loops into a magazine |05, from which it is directly withdrawn at the top by a feeding out sprocket |8a, substituted in place of the rewind reel I8. This construction enables an endless length of film to be readily handled.

Operation In the embodiment shown in Figs. 1 to 9, the film is clipped to and Wound on the rewind spool I8, or the spool with the film wound thereon is engaged over the rewind shaft 58, and brought forwardly and slipped into position between the contact and punching plates, engaged about the feed sprocket 23 and clipped to the windup spool 24. The guideway provided by the contact and punching plates 20, 2|, 22, may be left open at one side to permit edgewise placing of the lm. When properly located, the time indications on the lm will then appear through the time window 59, as in Figs. 2 and 14.

The clock motor 40 will usually have a plug connection as indicated at |06, Fig. 7. by which it can be plugged into circuit and when this is done, the 24 hour dials 12, y13, may be turned one way or the other to set them to the correct time. The minute or broadcast period dial 50, may then be set to the number of .minutes in that particular broadcast period quarter hour. For example, if the time then be '7:50 P. M. the hour dials will be set at the 7:50 P. M. position and the broadcast peried dial will be set to 5 minutes, since the time then is 5 minutes in that broadcasting period.

The time setting once made is retained. regardless of changing the lrn. Thus the film may be wound back and forth as for punching it for different stations or the like, without affecting or altering the time indication and control exercised by the machine.

With the clock properly set. the lm is advanced one way or the other by turning the takeup knob 56, or the rewind knob 5T, to bring the proper broadcast period indication on the film into view in the window 59. Thus if it be Wednesday at '7:50 P. M. the indication ,broadcast vperiod should be Wednesday 7:45 P. M. The machine will then be in condition to effect the necessary control to accomplish the tuning in of the different radio stations selected for the particular broadcast periods or to turn the set off or 011.

The program is set up by simply shifting the nlm until the proper broadcast period indication appears in the window and by then inserting the punch through theopening bearing the indication of the station which is desired at that particular period and forcing it inward to cut the control opening at that point in the film. The on and off or other control openings are similarly located and formed.

At the end of the week or other period for which the program has been made up, the film may be rewound back to the starting point. If the program is to be repeated, no changes need be made, but if changes are desired, new openings may be punched and any old openings that are not required may be closed, as by pasting small stickers over the same.

As the movement is so small, one sprocket tooth at the end of each l5 minute interval, a relatively short length of film will carry program for an extended period of a week or more. These lms are inexpensive and so may reasonably be discarded if patched to any considerable extent. For certain arrangement of programs, one lm might be used more or less indefinitely.

The program delay mechanism may be made use of any time that it might be desirable to have the program remain off, say for a period of several hours. Thus if a user were to be away for several hours during a time when the machine would ordinarily bring in a series of programs, say for a period between 'I P. M. and 10 P. M., the delay dial 13 would be simply turned forward to 10 P. M. In this adjustment, the time dial '|2 would be forced inward as in Fig. 8, to throw switch 9|, to the 01T position and the set would then remain off until the time dial at 10 oclock came into registry with the delay dial. The registry then of the coupling pins on one dial with the seats in the other dial enables the time dial to move axially outward and thus to permit the control switch 9|, to again cut the set into program controlled operation.

Where the machine is employed as a unit separate from the radio set or radio tuning mechanism, it may be enclosed in a suitable case, such as indicated at |01, Fig. 14.

The use of standard commercial motion plcture film for the time indicating and control medium is important as providing an always available inexpensive form of tape material which is accurately dimensioned and perforated, convenient for handling, has the desired insulating qualities, is tough and strong enough to stand much use and is adapted to have the broadcast or other time indications printed thereon, photographically or otherwise and can be easily punched and if necessary, patched as required. While preferable usually to punch the program controls direct on the machine, as illustrated, it is contemplated that the punching in some instances may be performed on a separate machine and the strip placed in the unit in nished punched condition.

More or less number of controls than those illustrated, may be provided, the size and shape of the control openings may be varied and one or more control contacts may be provided for cooperation with a single control opening for accomplishing various control results.

Employing motion picture film as a control medium also is important as enabling the entire machine to be made small enough to go into even the smaller radio sets and tuning controls. This medium can be stored in very small space and can be handled in various ways as by winding it back and forth on spools or reels as in the first embodiment or simply looping it in loose turns in a magazine compartment as in the second em-Y bodiment illustrated.

What is claimed is:

1. A program selector, comprising a sprocket perforated nlm having time interval designations and corelated transversely spaced control openings, a time clock, time indicating means operated thereby, intermittently acting film advancing means operated from said time clock, control elements cooperable with said transversely spaced control openings in the film, said film advancing means including a feed sprocket engaged with said nlm and provided with a ratchet, a cam actuated from said time clock,'a lever arranged to follow said cam, a pawl on said lever and engaging said ratchet, film rewinding mechanism and means actuated by said rewinding mechanism for automatically retracting said pawl from operative relation to said ratchet. V

2. A program selector, comprising a time train, a control medium advanced thereby, coaxial time and delay dials, means for yieldingly coupling said dials together in registered relation, said time dial being driven by said time train and said delay dial being rotatable to advanced positions in relation to said time dial and control means operable on the occasion of said dials attaining registered relation.

3. A program selector, comprising a time train, a control medium operated thereby, a time dial driven by said time train, a delay dial settable in different relations to said time dial and operable with said time dial when in register therewith and control means for said control medium operable in accordance with the relation of said two dials.

4. A program selector, comprising a sprocket perforated film having successive broadcast period date designations thereon and transversely spaced station selecting control openings correlated therewith, a feed sprocket engaged with said film, station selecting control elements spaced to register with said control openings, a time clock, a broadcast period cam actuated from said time clock, an intermittently operated actuator for said feed sprocket controlled by said broadcast period cam, an indicator dial associated with said cam, said dial and cam adjustable in respect to said time clock, means for adjustably setting said film in respect to said time clock and broadcast period cam and means for automatically rendering said intermittently operated actuator for the feed sprocket inoperative when said means is employed for adjustably setting the film in respect to said time clock and broadcast period cam.

V5,. A program selector, comprising a sprocket perforated film having successive broadcast period date designations thereon and transversely spaced station selecting control openings correlated therewith, a feed sprocket engaged with said film, station selecting control elements spaced to register with said control openings, a time clock, a broadcast period cam actuated from said time clock, an intermittently operated actuator for said feed sprocket controlled by said broadcast period cam, an indicator dial associated wth said cam, said dial and cam adjustable in respect to said time clock, means for adjustably 4 setting said film in respect to said time clock and "y, broadcast period cam and means for delaying the Acontrol effect of said preceding mechanism for u :different selected periods of time, including coaxial members, one driven to indicate actual time and the other adjustable forwardly to a fixed point indicating an advanced period of time and means automatically operable to couple said second member for rotation with the first member when said first member reaches the time period to which the second member has been set.

6. A program selector, comprising in combination, a length of standard motion picture nlm having sprocket perforations and perforated at different positions in its length and across its width for different time periods and stations, a. feed sprocket engaging the sprocket perforations in said film, a motor driven time train, a broadcast period cam operated by said time train, a lever operated by said cam for each broadcast period, a feed pawl actuated by said lever, a ratchet connected with said feed sprocket and engaged by said pawl to effect a one step advance of said feed sprocket and film for each broadcast period, station selector elements positioned for cooperation with the station selecting perforations in the film, manually operable means for arbitrarily shifting the station selecting film back and forth and for locating the same in properly timed relation with the time train and an automatic release for freeing the feed sprocket from control of the pawl and ratchet mechanism upon operation of said arbitrarily controlled film setting means.

7. A program selector, comprising in combination a time clock, a control medium advanced thereby, control devices cooperable with said advancing control medium, a time dial driven by said time clock, a delay dial in coaxial relation with said time dial and adjustable to a stationary delayed time position in respect to said time dial and means operable to render said control devices inoperative when said delay dial is advanced in respect to said time dial and to restore said control devices to operability when said time dial has caught up to said delay dial.

8. A program selector, comprising in combination a time clock, a control medium advanced thereby, control devices cooperable with said advancing control medium, a time dial driven by said time clock, a delay dial in coaxial relation with said time dial and adjustable to a stationary delayed time position in respect to said time dial and means operable to render said control devices inoperative when said delay dial is advanced in respect to said time dial and to restore said control devices to operability when said time dial has caught up to said delay dial, said last means including a coupling by which said delay dial will be carried along with the time dial when the latter reaches the point of registration with said delay dial.

9. A program selector, comprising a time train, a control medium advanced thereby, program determining mechanism associated with said control medium, rotatably supported coaxial Atime and delay members, means for yieldingly coupling said members together in a time indicating registered relation and to cause said members to rotate together as a unit, said time member being driven by said time train in accordance with passing time and said delay member being independently rotatable to advanced positions in respect to said time member and control means for rendering said control medium and associated program determining mechanism operative and operable only on the occasion of said members attaining registered relation and said means for yieldingly coupling said members being operative to again couple said members when said position of registered relation is attained.

l0. A program selector, comprising in combination, a length of motion picture film having sprocket perforations and perforated at different positions in its length and across its width for different time periods and stations, a feed sprocket engaging thesprocket perforations in said film, a time train, a broadcast period cam operated by said time train, said cam having an abrupt cam drop and a dwell at the base of said abrupt drop, a cam follower cooperating with said cam, means operable from said follower for effecting actuation of said feed sprocket when the abrupt drop of said cam reaches said cam follower and means controlled from said cam follower during the interval provided by said dwell at the base of said abrupt drop for controlling a circuit over a period required for tuning purposes.

11. A program selector, comprising in combination, a length of motion picture fllm having sprocket perforations and perforated at different positions in its length and across its Width for different time periods and stations, a feed sprocket engaging the sprocket perforations in said film, a time train, a broadcast period cam operated by said time train, means intermittently operated from said broadcast period cam for actuating said feed sprocket for each broadcast period, station selector elements positioned for cooperation with the station selecting perforations in the nlm, manually operable means for shifting the station selecting fllm back and forth and for locating the same in respect to the time train for the correct existing time and means for automatically effecting release of said feed sprocket from control of the broadcast period cam upon operation of said arbitrarily controlled nlm setting means.

12. A program selector, comprising in combination, a length of motion picture lm having sprocket perforations and perforated at different positions in its length and across its width for different time periods and stations, an intermittently operating feed device engaging the sprocket perforations in said film, a time train, a broadcast period cam operated by said time train, means for intermittently actuating said intermittently operating film feeding device from said broadcast period cam for each broadcast period, station selector elements positioned for cooperation with the station selecting perforations in the film, manually operable means for shifting the station selecting filmY back and forth and for locating the same in respect to the time train for the correct existing time, and means for automatically effecting release of said intermittently operating lm feeding device from control of said broadcast period cam upon operation of said arbitrarily controlled film setting means.

LLOYD P. MORRIS. 

